Power Grid to Construct ₹20,000-Crore Green Energy Corridor-II in Ladakh.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has granted its approval for providing viability gap funding (VGF) to the state-owned Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) for the development of the Green Energy Corridor-II (GEC-II) in the Ladakh region.

GEC-II is an ambitious Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) project with the objective of connecting a minimum of 13 gigawatts of upcoming renewable energy ventures in Ladakh. The government envisions the completion of this critical project by the financial year 2029-30, with an estimated cost of Rs. 20,773.70 crore. A government statement outlines that Central Financial Assistance (CFA) will cover 40 percent of the project cost, totaling Rs. 8,309.48 crore.

Ladakh poses unique challenges due to defense sensitivities and extreme climatic conditions. Given these factors, the government has entrusted PGCIL with the responsibility of implementing the project. The Green Energy Corridor initiative, initiated in 2012, serves as a dedicated transmission network designed to link renewable energy zones to the national grid.

The transmission lines associated with this endeavor will traverse Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, ultimately converging at Kaithal in Haryana, where they will seamlessly integrate with the National Grid. An additional interconnection is planned to extend from Leh to the existing Ladakh grid, ensuring a reliable power supply for the region. Moreover, the project will facilitate a connection to the Leh-Alusteng-Srinagar line, providing power to Jammu & Kashmir. Overall, the project encompasses the construction of 713 kilometers of transmission lines, including a 480-kilometer high-voltage direct current (HVDC) line and two 5 GW HVDC terminals located at Pang in Ladakh and Kaithal in Haryana.

The genesis of this project can be traced back to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address in 2020 when he unveiled plans for a colossal 7.5 GW solar park in Ladakh. In the wake of this announcement, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) formulated a strategy to establish a robust 13 GW renewable energy generation capacity, complemented by a 12 GWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Pang, Ladakh. This undertaking marks a significant stride toward the development of renewable energy infrastructure in the region.

BS